1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to buoyant, anchored markers for visually indicating a location on a body of water including, without limitation, fishing spots, water lanes, underwater structures, channels, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Buoyant markers are widely used in outdoor waters to indicate locations having certain features of interest such as the location of navigation channels, the location of fishes, and the presence of submerged structure. The present invention overcomes the limitations of the marker buoys presently known in the art. The present invention incorporates a power-winding feature which is not found in prior marker buoys in general use. It further incorporates highly visible fluorescent and phosphorescent materials to improve both daytime and nighttime visibility. Furthermore, the present invention causes a visible indication that the anchor line is being paid out from the anchor line reel portion of the buoy.
Simple, effective, self-setting marker buoys have been developed which will pay out anchor line of a length suitable to permit the buoy anchor to reach the bottom of the body of water and hold the buoy in a location nearly vertically above the anchor location. Such self-setting marker buoys generally rely on the weight of the anchor to cause the anchor line to pay out from a rotating body until the anchor reaches the bottom at which time a biasing weight limits further rotation of the body and pay out of anchor line.
One limitation on the use of self-setting marker buoys has been the difficulty in recovering them. Those having a small size or of the type disclosed by Rovner in U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,085 require many turns of the anchor line about the reel in order to rewind the anchor line and restore the device to a ready-to-use condition. The person who recovers the buoy may require an extended period of time to rewind all of the anchor line which has been extended from the marker. Not only is rewinding the anchor line tedious, it can be very unpleasant in cold weather.
A second limitation of the conventionally available marker buoys is that the anchor line will occasionally tangle and prevent the anchor from descending. When the anchor does not descend to the bottom, the marker can drift away from the desired location. The result can be the loss of the marker and the loss of a fishing location which has been identified as favorable.
A third limitation of the conventionally available marker buoys is that the surface coloration is seldom highly visible. That limitation can result in loss of the buoy or in limiting the useful range of the marker, especially when employed by users of small watercraft.
A fourth limitation of those buoys currently available in the marketplace is that they are difficult to see at night and during periods of low light. Lighted buoys are known but they are seldom completely reliable and generally require the use of batteries which are expensive and create a disposal problem.
A fifth limitation of those buoys previously available is that they may present durability problems. Marker buoys which are of flattened or rectangular solid shapes may be awkward to use or store and those having long projections may be prone to breakage. For example, the U.S. Pat. No 4,405,303 to Smith discloses sizeable projections which appear likely prone to breakage.